Who Should I Start? Matt Prater or Chad Ryland

Tuesday, October 15, 7:55 PM

The Arizona Cardinals placed kicker Matt Prater (knee) and defensive lineman Bilal Nichols (neck) on Injured Reserve on Tuesday, meaning both players will have to miss at least the next four games. Nichols will miss the rest of the season. To replace Prater on the active 53-man roster, the Cardinals elevated Chad Ryland from the practice squad. In the last two games with Prater out, Ryland has gone 5-for-6 on field goals and made both of his extra points. Prater made all six of his field goals and went 10-for-10 on extra points in his four games, surpassing the career 1,800-point plateau. The earliest Prater will be eligible to return from IR will be after the team's Week 11 bye for a Week 12 contest against the division-rival Seattle Seahawks. Ryland will be a poor streaming option for fantasy managers in Week 7 against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night.

Saturday, October 19, 11:02 PM

Arizona Cardinals kicker Chad Ryland would be a risky play in their Week 7 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers. Ryland will fill in for the injured Matt Prater (knee) for the next few weeks, as Prater was placed on injured reserve. Ryland has been solid in relief, going five for six on his field goal attempts and making both of his extra-point attempts over the past two weeks. While he has performed well until the Cardinals' offense finds more consistency, he is not a reliable play in fantasy and would be a risky streaming option at best.